


Practice Makes Perfect

by ellaphunt19



Series: Coffee Beats [4]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, and music sales associate!vanya, and vanya ends up giving him a small token of appreciation, as five helps vanya feel more confident in her upcoming audition, because they're still in the mutual pining phase, but five ends up losing some brain cells near the end anyways, certainly not me and i'm the writer lmao, my coffee beats series is unexpectedly turning into slow burn, please enjoy the adventures of barista!five, the gift is not a kiss though, they’re 20-year-olds with summer jobs near their college, who would have thought
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:28:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28052451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ellaphunt19/pseuds/ellaphunt19
Summary: Five helps Vanya with her upcoming violin audition. Vanya repays him with an unexpected gift.-“... Vanya?” He asked concerned, noticing her sudden discomfort, “What’s wrong?”She hesitantly bit her lip before blurting, “Can I have your number?”Five's hand jerked. To his misfortune, his finger brushed against the No Sale button of the cash register.Cha-Ching![Harcest Ficmas Prompt - Joy]
Relationships: Number Five | The Boy/Vanya Hargreeves
Series: Coffee Beats [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1930321
Comments: 19
Kudos: 77
Collections: Harcest Ficmas 2020





	Practice Makes Perfect

**Author's Note:**

  * For [y2fandom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/y2fandom/gifts).



> This is dedicated to Bee, who has been very sweet and supportive whenever I post a new update. Thank you for brightening my day with the enthusiasm that you bring after reading each of my works. I hope this surprise gift fic brings you as much joy as I feel when I read your comments!
> 
> -
> 
> Five and Vanya’s POVs will be switching off throughout this installment, but you should be able to decipher which is which!
> 
> To provide more context to this story, I would recommend reading [“Sorry, Not Sorry”](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26821354) beforehand. If you’d prefer a short summary: Vanya confides in Five about her worries for her upcoming first chair audition after having an unpleasant run-in with Helen at the cafe. Because Helen talks down to Vanya like in Season 1, Five retaliates by tampering Helen’s coffee with whole milk, using the knowledge of her lactose intolerance against her.
> 
> Special thanks to [fiveyaaas](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fiveyaaas/pseuds/fiveyaaas) for being my beta for this installment! Title for this work is from Cute Is What I Aim For’s album, Rotation.

“Are you sure about this, Five?” Vanya shifted nervously on the stool of the cafe’s corner stage with her violin and bow in hand. 

“Consider it training, V,” Five encouraged, leaning on one of the vacant tables near the stage. 

“Does Luther even know you’re helping me during your shift?”

“What he doesn't know won’t hurt him. Besides, Diego owes me for covering him whenever Luther and Allison are away.” Five cocked his head as he looked towards the front counter where Diego stood. “Surely the assistant store manager can hold down the fort without burning the place down. Isn't that right, Diego?” 

“Hey, watch it,” Diego warned as he used the knife he was holding to point at Five from afar. “Don’t forget I can fire your ass if I wanted to,” he remarked before using the blade to methodically cut an assortment of pastries into bite-sized pieces to display as samples. 

Five sneered in response, directing his attention back to Vanya. “See? Nothing to be concerned about,” Five said offhandedly with a shrug, completely dismissing Diego’s threat. He was amused when he saw her apprehension turning to disbelief.

Five didn’t know much about the violin, but when Vanya had confided in him about how important the upcoming first chair audition was for her, he didn’t hesitate to help in whatever way he could.

While his motivation ultimately stemmed from supporting Vanya, the thought of rubbing it in Helen Cho’s idiotic face would be the fucking icing on the cake - _if_ she ever decided to show up at the cafe again, that is. Unfortunately, Helen had put two and two together the day Five had tampered with her latte, but luck was on his side since his shift manager, Allison, was present during the time Helen had stormed back into their cafe to file a complaint. Allison always knew what to say to get even the most difficult customer to calm down, something he reluctantly admitted that the rest of the employees, aside from Ben, would be unable to pull off unless they wanted to get hit with a lawsuit. 

He had no regrets, despite getting the expected scolding from Luther. Witnessing the way Helen had rudely acted towards Vanya still unnerved him, mainly because Vanya hadn’t done anything to defend herself when it happened. He wondered if she had actually _believed_ the bullshit that Helen spewed at her, which aggravated him even further. 

Ever since that day, Five replayed what Vanya had shared with him in confidence, trying to come up with potential solutions to help his favorite customer before her upcoming audition. 

And then it hit him.

Vanya had mentioned that she would overthink during her auditions and made mistakes while performing. Maybe it wasn't the lack of talent that landed her into third chair for the past three years. Vanya just needed more practice being in front of the spotlight. 

Five’s hunch was confirmed once Vanya had admitted that the only time she would perform solo acts was once a year during auditions. Every other time had been spent locked in the confines of her own room or blending in with the entire orchestra.

So, Five had told Vanya about the upcoming open mic night that the cafe was hosting on Friday, thinking it would be the perfect opportunity to boost her confidence. He requested Vanya to bring her violin on her next lunch break so that she could start practicing in front of him before performing with a larger crowd. 

“Should I start playing now?” Vanya asked.

“Whenever you're ready.” Luckily, there weren't any customers by the time Vanya had finished eating her meal, and Diego seemed too preoccupied with cutting samples on the other end of the shop to even care what they’d be up to. Maybe the lack of people would help alleviate her uneasiness.

Vanya nodded, resting her chin on the violin, her shoulders and arms beginning to tense. She pursed her lips before gently placing her bow on top of the violin strings and began to play.

The soft music that resonated around the cafe soothed Five in a way that was difficult to describe.

Despite looking nervous, he wasn’t surprised at how remarkable Vanya still played. He was captivated by the way her posture was straight and disciplined, brows knitted in concentration as her half-lidded eyes focused solely on the violin strings. 

Vanya was the Siren, and had Five ended up being Odysseus in this situation, he would have certainly gnawed off the rope bindings that restrained him and jumped ship just to be with her.

The fact that Vanya had confessed that she felt so ordinary next to Helen sounded even more absurd now that he finally had the opportunity to witness her play.

In his eyes, she was far from ordinary. 

Extraordinary, even.

“Five?”

Five blinked, snapping out of his reverie as Vanya looked at him with a worried expression. He hadn’t even noticed that she had finished playing her piece. 

After hearing clapping coming from the table right beside him, he tore his gaze from Vanya. 

When did Ben and Klaus get there?

“That was amazing, Vanya!” Ben complimented. 

“Yeah, but she needs to loosen up a little more, don’tcha think? Some notes sounded off.” 

Five and Ben shot glares at Klaus. 

“What?" Klaus defended, "I wasn't _trying_ to be mean about it. I’m doing her a favor by giving her my grade A critiquing.”

Vanya groaned in response. “I was hoping you wouldn’t notice. I started messing up once I heard you two come out of the back room to watch.” 

“Don't be so hard on yourself, V. You just need a little more practice playing in front of others,” Five reassured. 

“If that’s the case, why doesn't she perform at our open mic night tomorrow?” 

“One step ahead of you, Ben. I already signed her up.”

_“You what?”_

Five saw the horrified look on Vanya’s face and furrowed his brows in confusion, “Why do you sound so surprised? I told you about it yesterday.”

“I said I would think about it. I didn't think you were actually serious about signing me up.”

“Why would I joke about it?”

“I don't know!” Vanya cried out, flailing her bow around in a panic. “Tomorrow is way too soon, Five. I need _at least_ a few months of mental preparation for that.”

“V, you were incredible just now, and you practice the violin every day. How do you expect to be comfortable performing in front of a crowd by yourself without the experience?”

“I just think people won’t…” Vanya trailed off, eyes glued to the floor, “I’m not as good as Helen, Five.”  
  
“To hell you aren't,” Five glowered, frustration building up inside of him hearing Vanya compare herself to Helen again. “You have more talent _and_ personality than Helen ever will.” Vanya’s eyes flitted back to his, seeming unconvinced by his words. Five sighed, voice softening, “Look Vanya, if you really don’t want to perform tomorrow, then I won’t push you into doing something you're uncomfortable with, but I think that you should start practicing getting over your stage fright sooner rather than later. If you get nervous, just look for me in the audience tomorrow. I'll be right over there,” Five explained, pointing at the front counter, “Like always.”

He watched the way Vanya looked deep in thought as if weighing all her options. After a few moments, she sighed, “Yeah, you're right. I should at least give it a try if you think it'll help me. If someone ends up throwing a tomato at me though, it's on you.”

Five snorted, pleased that she was willing to step out of her comfort zone. “Lucky for you, we don't have fresh tomatoes lying around. And if someone were to _attempt_ to throw something at you, I’ll be sure to toss a frappuccino at their face before they even get the chance.” 

“Let me guess, you don't want to waste perfectly good brewed coffee because frappuccinos are the worst.”

“Obviously.”

“My hero,” Vanya deadpanned, rolling her eyes despite a smile escaping her lips.

“ _Ugh_ , get a room. We’re still right next to you, you know.”

“Or don’t, if you’re into that kind of thing.”

Five and Vanya snapped their attention back to the other two baristas. Ben held in a grin while Klaus waggled his eyebrows suggestively before winking at them. 

Five scowled, heat rising to his ears, not daring to turn his head to see Vanya’s reaction to Ben and Klaus’ ridiculous comments. He knew it would only make the situation even more awkward and embarrassing than it needed to be. 

He swore he’d end up killing these idiots one of these days.

* * *

How did Five talk her into this again? 

_Deep breaths, Vanya._

Since it was still summer vacation, Vanya hadn’t expected to see the cafe packed with so many customers for the open mic night. All of the tables and chairs had been occupied, leaving her off to the wings of the stage, nervously fidgeting with the clasps of her violin case as she waited for the event to start. 

While Vanya had practiced performing in front of Five and his coworkers a few more times during her lunch break yesterday, it felt like it wasn’t enough to prepare her for _this_. Five had continued to compliment her each time she played a piece, but a part of her was convinced that he was just trying to be nice because they were friends. 

Allison, who appeared to be the emcee for the evening, stepped on the stage to introduce the open mic night. “And now, please give it up for one of our regulars, Vanya, who will be playing a medley of the Phantom of the Opera on her violin!” 

Apparently, she was first up.

_Oh God. Oh God._

Vanya bit her lip, taking her violin and bow out of the case before approaching the stage. She smiled politely and nodded at Allison who reciprocated the friendly gesture and whispered “break a leg!” as they passed by each other. 

As soon as Vanya faced the audience, she stiffened. All eyes were on her. Why was she doing this again? 

Oh, right. Five. 

She was used to performing in front of an audience of hundreds for her university’s orchestra, but it still felt like new territory for her to be the only one on stage. The grip on her bow tightened as she looked out at the crowd, instantly regretting her decision to even be in this position. 

What if they were expecting someone as amazing as Helen Cho? What if they get bored in the middle of her performance? What if—

_“If you get nervous, just look for me in the audience tomorrow. I'll be right over there,” Five explained, pointing at the front counter, “Like always.”_

Vanya shifted her gaze from the spectators to the counter behind them. Her heart raced when she locked eyes with Five who had been watching her attentively, cheek resting on the palm of his hand with his lip quirked up in a sly smile. With his other hand, Five pointed down to what looked like a large cup of frappuccino that was settled in front of him.

There were no customers in his immediate vicinity, which meant he made that frappuccino _specifically_ because of the conversation they shared yesterday. It was like he knew that Vanya would be looking for him before she performed. 

Jesus, he was so smug. But his confidence was one of the many reasons why she liked him so much.

Vanya let out a quiet laugh, her shoulders releasing the tension she had a few moments ago. She kept her eyes on him a second longer before she positioned herself accordingly and began to play her piece. 

It was unexpected that Five had made the effort to blend a frappuccino for her sake. It was even more surprising that he had gone through great lengths to support her in this way. She had only known Five for a couple of months, but he became one of the very few people who she felt comfortable letting into her life. She never would have pictured herself in this position without his help.

After everything that Five had done for her, Vanya hoped there was _something_ she could do to properly thank him.

As soon as she finished the medley, she opened her eyes hesitantly, receiving a still silence from the crowd. Her heart dropped as she looked down. She knew this would happen. Why did she even bother trying to think that she would actually—

The cafe was filled with a thunderous ovation. Vanya froze from shock, looking back up at the crowd. 

She couldn’t believe it. They were cheering for her. 

No orchestra, no Helen Cho in sight.

They were cheering for _her_. 

Stunned, she stepped off the stage, cheeks flushing from all the undivided attention she wasn’t used to receiving as the audience members commended her when she passed by, heading towards the front counter to meet with Five. 

“Wasn’t so bad, was it?” Five inquired as soon as she approached him.

Vanya could feel the adrenaline coursing through her body. “Yeah, it felt… different. A _lot_ different,” she expressed excitedly, eyes brightening. “During auditions, the panelists are supposed to keep a straight face, so I usually end up feeling unsure after I perform. But after this performance I felt…”

What was the word for it?

_“Joy.”_

“I knew you could do it,” Five praised, handing Vanya the frappuccino that he had shown her earlier mentioning it was on the house. He leaned his arms onto the counter so they were at the same eye level, “I'm proud of you, V.”

“Thanks,” she whispered, reddening even more from his words. She took a sip of the frappuccino to distract herself, noticing Five turn his head briefly at Luther who gave him a thumbs up back at a distance.

“What was that about?” Vanya asked, piqued by curiosity.

“I asked Luther if you’d be allowed to perform at the cafe during your free time if you're interested. It wasn’t that hard to convince him yesterday. Having a violinist would provide a relaxing ambience to our customers and hopefully drown out Leonard’s music when you’re off shift,” Five explained, shifting his gaze at the store across the street. “This performance was _technically_ your audition to make Luther’s final decision. And it looks like you passed.”

“What?” Vanya said, eyes widening. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn't want to make you more nervous than you already were.” 

Well, he had a point there. 

“We can’t officially employ you, but I managed to negotiate getting you a free meal and beverage on days you do decide to perform.” Five continued, “The crowd won’t be as big as this one, but it’ll still be helpful for you to practice in front of people until your audition comes up. Would you be up for it?”

“I… yeah. I'd love that. Thank you,” Vanya choked up, touched by the overwhelming support he had given her. “Five, you really didn’t have to.”

“I know,” Five responded gently with a smile, “You owe me one, V.” 

* * *

Vanya stepped into the Umbrella Cafe with her violin case in hand. After the open mic night yesterday, she had a little more confidence knowing that her violin playing wasn’t _completely_ atrocious to the public. She hoped to get in as much practice in front of people now that her auditions were only a month away. She wasn’t expecting Five to be there, knowing that his shifts usually fell on the weekdays, and was greeted by Luther and Allison at the front counter instead.

“Hey, Vanya. Glad to see that you’re already taking us up on our offer,” Luther acknowledged.  
  
Vanya smiled back at them, “Yeah, thanks for letting me play here.” 

“Well, you have Five to thank for that,” Allison casually mentioned with a gleam in her eye, “He presented Luther with a Powerpoint filled with graphs and charts to prove that having a violinist would boost our sales.”

“ _Allison_ ,” a voice hissed from the side, “You can spare her the details.”

Vanya turned her direction to the voice.

“Five?” Vanya asked. This was the first time that she saw him without his usual work attire. Then again, this was also the first time that she visited the cafe when she wasn’t on shift either. “I thought you were off today.”

“Ah, yeah.” Five said, running his hand through his hair. “I’ve been studying here on weekends so I can drink free coffee.” 

“I really should reconsider that work perk,” Luther joked, “You’ve been running us dry this summer.”

“I’ll quit if you rescind the offer.” Five grumbled.

Luther shook his head and frowned, “I was only kidding. Just go back to studying for the GRE, Five, and maybe get some rest after so you’re less cranky. Vanya, feel free to set yourself up on stage. Let us know when you want your complimentary meal and beverage.”

“Great, thank you.” Vanya still couldn’t get used to the dynamics in the cafe. She could only imagine how Leonard would react if she gave him the same attitude as Five gave his manager. 

After an hour had passed since she had started performing, she set aside her violin to take a break, shuffling over to Five’s table and sitting down on the chair next to him. “So how’s studying going?”

“Currently trying to decide which formulas would be the most efficient to use for this problem,” Five mumbled, deep in thought as he held the end of his pencil to the corner of his lip. 

“Are you sure you’re okay with me playing the violin while you’re studying? I can stop for the day if—”

“V, of course I'm okay with it.” He peered up at Vanya affirming, “I enjoy listening to you play the violin. It actually helps me focus while studying.”

Vanya flushed, “Oh. Okay then.”

Maybe she had a gift in mind for him after all.

* * *

It had been a typical Monday morning, and as expected, Five watched Vanya leave the music store in order to spend her lunch hour at the Umbrella Cafe.

Ever since the open mic night a few days ago, Five noticed Vanya had gradually improved after practicing in front of a smaller audience over the weekend. A handful of customers had even offered her tips during her performance, which had left Vanya completely speechless each time, much to Five’s satisfaction. 

Good. She deserved getting proper recognition for her talent. 

“Hey, Five.” Vanya anxiously greeted.

“Hi, V.” Five absentmindedly pushed a few buttons on the cash register before looking up at her. “What’ll it be today?”

He watched the way she moved restlessly, rubbing her hands together and avoiding eye contact. 

“... Vanya?” He asked concerned, noticing her sudden discomfort, “What’s wrong?”

She hesitantly bit her lip before blurting, “Can I have your number?”

Five's hand jerked. To his misfortune, his finger brushed against the No Sale button of the cash register. 

**_Cha-Ching!_ **

He inwardly winced at the sound until he finally processed what Vanya had asked him.

Holy fuck. 

Did he hear that right? 

“What was that?” He asked, trying to keep his voice steady as he shoved the cash drawer back in its place.

“Oh, uh, I mean, I wanted to send you a link to this Spotify playlist I created, if you wanted to listen to it,” Vanya clarified, lifting her phone up to show the playlist labeled _Five’s Study Music_. “You mentioned on Saturday that listening to me play the violin helped you while studying, and I’ve always heard that classical music helps you focus and retain information, so I thought that making you a playlist would help you study when I’m not around to play the violin.” Vanya cheeks reddened as she rambled, “I mean, they're not _all_ violin, I threw in other classical music that you might like and... Sorry, I’m talking a lot now so I’m going to stop.”

For once, Five was at a loss for words. He was used to being relied on when it came to helping his coworkers get out of sticky situations. Figuring out solutions to people’s problems had become second nature to him. He never expected much in return, and couldn’t quite remember the last time that anyone returned the favor. It only made Vanya’s thoughtfulness of creating a playlist just for him that much more special.

Vanya was his favorite for a reason.

Vanya seemed to take his silence as a negative reaction, as she quickly apologized a second time, “Sorry, I know it’s not much, given everything you’ve done for me, but I was hoping I could give you something that might help _you_ for a change. Don't feel pressured either if you don't feel comfortable giving your number to me.” Vanya added shyly, “I’d understand.”

“No, V. That’s not it at all. It’s a really great gift,” Five stated, pulling his phone out. “Thanks, I really appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome,” she responded, looking away sheepishly.

Once they finished exchanging phone numbers, Vanya sent Five a text with the Spotify link. 

“What emoji should I add to your contact name?” Vanya mused aloud.

“Surprise me.”

Vanya beamed at the challenge, swiping through her options, “Adding the number five emoji seems too predictable. I’m currently debating between the coffee emoji or the grumpy cat emoji. Actually, who am I kidding? I’m _definitely_ choosing the grumpy cat emoji.” 

She held up her phone to him, which showed: “Five 😾”

He furrowed his brows and frowned, “Why the grumpy cat emoji?”  
  
“Oh, come on. You really don’t see it?” Vanya giggled, holding up her phone next to Five’s face. “You’re literally making the face right now.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Five scoffed, but he couldn't help but crack a smile immediately after. 

* * *

A week had passed since the open mic night, and Five was on his way home after finishing a long shift. Suddenly, he felt his phone vibrate. He scooped the device out of his pocket and unlocked it, checking his notifications. 

**New Text Message from Vanya 🐰**

What Vanya didn't know was that Five had also added an emoji of his own next to her name. Unlike her, he was planning to take that secret to his grave. 

It was also worth noting that Klaus had _almost_ discovered this classified information while Five was in the middle of updating his contact list, but he had shut off and pocketed his phone in the nick of time before Klaus’ prying eyes had noticed. 

Klaus lived to see another day.

 **Vanya 🐰:** _I'm currently at the grocery store and I'm tempted to buy marshmallows to see what all the hype is with these fluffernutter sandwiches you keep raving on about. I've still got some bread and peanut butter at home._

 **Five 😾:** _Hype would imply that I've been exaggerating what they taste like, which I can assure you, I’m not._

 **Vanya 🐰:** _Okay then, no turning back. I've officially spent $1.48 to try it. Will you be studying at the cafe tomorrow morning? I was thinking of coming by to practice. I can make a couple of fluffernutters for you if you'd like._

Five suppressed a smile. Vanya hadn't realized that she gave him more than just the playlist. After texting her once more, he shoved his phone into his pocket and continued strolling back home.

 **Five 😾:** _Looking forward to it, V._

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I've had that corner stage set up since my first installment for this very moment, so it's nice to finally have it posted. This one-shot was the most challenging (and longest) installment that I’ve written for this series so far, but I'm happy with how it turned out in the end. Hope you liked it too!


End file.
